This Norman fortification, likely dating to the 12th or 13th century, commands sweeping views across the landscape, strategically positioned on the edge of the Inny River’s floodplains just 170 metres to the west. The steep sides of the mound show traces of what may have been a defensive ditch, or fosse, at its base, whilst a series of banks and shallow ditches encircle the foot of the structure, hinting at the complex defensive arrangements that once protected this site.

Archaeological investigations have revealed that Doon originally featured a small bailey; an enclosed courtyard typical of motte-and-bailey castles; though this was unfortunately destroyed in the late twentieth century. The site’s importance is further evidenced by the survival of what appears to be a fish pond, along with natural hollows to the southeast and southwest that likely held water in medieval times. These water features suggest this wasn’t merely a military outpost but rather the caput, or principal residence, of a knight of considerable status who would have maintained a household here.

Today, the motte sits heavily overgrown on its natural rise, surrounded by poorly drained land and boggy ground to the south. Despite the loss of the bailey and centuries of weathering, the monument remains an impressive reminder of Norman influence in medieval Ireland, when these earthwork castles served as both defensive strongholds and administrative centres for the Anglo-Norman lords who sought to control the Irish midlands.